The KCP 4S grant is a part of the Martin Luther King, Jr.-César Chávez-Rosa Parks Initiative. The grant’s goal is to increase the opportunities to complete college degrees for the most educationally disadvantaged citizens in Michigan. The KCP grant was first awarded to the College in 2017 and provided funding for six years.

The award went toward supporting grades K-College including K-12 outreach for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) and career exploration in Greater Lansing and Metro Detroit. KCP 4S-eligible MSU undergraduate students received support for mentoring, leadership development, supplemental instruction, and career exposure and exploration.

“The KCP grant has had a great impact which is especially noticeable in increasing graduation rates at the undergraduate level for KCP 4S students and in their increasing science grade point average,” says Mejia Abreu.

The new renewed grant award of $98,743 will continue this work over the next six years, with plans to open more large animal opportunities to KCP-eligible students and continue the partnership with Detroit and Lansing K-12 schools including the Detroit International Academy for Young Women.

Mejia Abreu says the renewed grant will support over 250 pre-veterinary students from backgrounds underrepresented in veterinary medicine. “The grant allows the Office of Admissions, Student Life, and Inclusivity to provide vital retention services to our pre-veterinary population.”